Ninth District Offering Home Weatherization Help for Low-Income, Elderly, Disabled

With the summer heat, you might not be thinking about how to keep your home warm when the cold weather sets in.

Adding extra insulation and fixing areas where drafts can get in can be expensive, but the Ninth District Opportunity wants to remind low income residents in Toccoa-Stephens County about a program that can help you with that.

It’s called the Weatherization Program.

Danny Penland is the Weatherization Program Director for the Ninth District, he said the program can help you determine how you can save money on your energy bills.

“We basically go in and do some diagnostics on the home to determine what can be done to that home to make it more energy efficient,” Penland said. “We check for things such as doors not being filled properly, walls not insulated properly, floors not insulated. We do a lot of caulking, a lot of foaming, a lot of insulation. We also do some tests and evaluations on HVAC systems.”

Penland said inspectors from Ninth District will also test your gas appliances and heating to make sure they are operating properly.

If there’s problem or issue, Penland said the Program will reinsulate, make repairs or if necessary, replace heating and cooling systems with more energy efficient systems.

The Program also provides counseling on how to save on your energy bills.

Penland says the Weatherization program is for senior citizens, the disabled, and low-income households.

To get an application for the Weatherization Program, Penland says you need to contact your local Ninth District Office and schedule an appointment.

“When they go in they need to have their State-issued identification, proof of income, social security card and a copy of a power bill,” he said.

Unlike the Home Heating Help program, the Weatherization runs all year with federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Energy.

In Stephens County, the Ninth District Opportunity office is located on Queen Street in Toccoa.

You can call them at: 706-886-0211.